When a 'tuner' doesn't know WTF they are talking about - BPM Sport's Mike Benvo embarrasses himself

You may have heard of BPM Sport and the owner Mike Benvo. For those unfamiliar, BPM is a BMW coding company. While they sell tunes Mike Benvo is not a tuner. This became glaringly obvious in a recent discussion (since deleted) where he attempted to warn people about unsafe tuning practices.

We will not delve too far into BPM's or Mike Benvo's background but suffice it so say there are those who believe he simply reads out files from other tuners (some would call this theft) and flashes factory BMW software at a premium. For example, BMW E92 M3 GTS DCT software which you can get for free right in the BimmerBoost file section.

Character issues and reputation aside you do not go from coding BMW's to being a tuner overnight, if ever. That is the problem here. Benvo goes on the forums to 'warn' people about another tuner and their unsafe tuning practices. Read here:

On the surface or to the untrained eye, this seems reasonable. How is your average forum reader supposed to know anything is off there? Most users browsing aren't tuners or experts on the platform and the various tables that can be modified.

Benvo claims the 'minimum timing map' is set incredibly unsafe and this well respected yet unnamed tuner is putting people's motors at risk. Your average reader will not think about the issue beyond what is presented and accept what is written as the truth because there is no way for them to know otherwise.

This tactic is used by people who will then leak the name of the supposed other tuning company and someone will post that name in the thread. The damage is then done. BPM comes off looking like a hero and the well respected tuner is no longer well respected. Fanboys will then parrot this disinformation for all eternity.

Things did not go as planned, however. Experienced tuners immediately saw that Benvo did not even know what table he was modifying or referencing:

So after that all that spiel from BPM about unsafe tuning practices they do not even know the table they are modifying is actually the ignition offset for combustion pressure limitation. Obviously, not the minimum ignition table. You would think a tuner would know where, how, and why to modify the ignition.

Multiple tuners e-mailed BimmerBoost these screenshots because anyone who knows anything on the platform saw right through it. Benvo doesn't even try to defend it. He knows instantly he looks like a fool. You can not 'agree to disagree' about what table is what. Tables are not open to interpretation:

Here is what Benvo thought he was modifying and how it actually looks:

This was all quickly deleted and rumor has it BPM sent some not so nice text messages about the topic. It is all here for you to see for yourself as coders masquerading as tuners should not be protected. They should be exposed.

It also shows the nastier side of the tuning business when businesses use threads as warfare against their competition.

Would you want someone giving advice on tuning and unsafe tuning practices when they themselves have no idea what they are doing? Obviously not. Which is also why we need more discussions like this one and forums willing to host them.

Glad this resurfaced here. Good to see that deleted post not disappear into the void as others should be aware. It looked like it was going to be entertaining and I had my popcorn out but then it was deleted....

Glad this resurfaced here. Good to see that deleted post not disappear into the void as others should be aware. It looked like it was going to be entertaining and I had my popcorn out but then it was deleted....

Well you found the right place for entertaining threads and for this type of discussion.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine told me he was scheduled to get a tune from Benvo, I couldn't talk him out of it so I decided to tag along. Benvo kept offering to tune my car, a 335is, and by the numbers he was quoting I thought he may be confused about which engine was actually in my car. So I popped the hood. He stood there arguing with me that my own car had an N55 because all 2011+ had N55s while looking right at the N54.

That moment finally convinced my buddy that this guy was truly clueless and we left.

Benvo kept offering to tune my car, a 335is, and by the numbers he was quoting I thought he may be confused about which engine was actually in my car. So I popped the hood. He stood there arguing with me that my own car had an N55 because all 2011+ had N55s while looking right at the N54.

Glad you posted this @Sticky. Planning to get a tune sometime in the near future and BPM was one I was going to look at. I'll admit it, I'm a noob when it come to tuning so it definitely helps that I can come here and find out about these sort of things before wasting my money.

Glad you posted this @Sticky. Planning to get a tune sometime in the near future and BPM was one I was going to look at. I'll admit it, I'm a noob when it come to tuning so it definitely helps that I can come here and find out about these sort of things before wasting my money.

Also glad Alex mentioned Bimmerboast,com for putting up the deleted post. When I talked with him awhile back he gave Sticky credit for putting it up for all to see (as well as other posts) and calling it like it is.